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Bowns Family History

Bowns Surname Meaning

English: (Yorkshire and the Midlands): variant of Bown with post-medieval excrescent -s.

Occasionally in northwestern England a possible variant of Bowness (see Bownes).

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Bowns family from?

You can see how Bowns families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Bowns family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Bowns families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 65 Bowns families living in Yorkshire. This was about 18% of all the recorded Bowns's in United Kingdom. Yorkshire had the highest population of Bowns families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Bowns surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Bowns ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Bowns. 28% of Bowns men worked as a General Labourer and 85% of Bowns women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Bowns were Builders Labourer and Housewife.

View Census Data for Bowns | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    28%
  • Farmer Own Account
    19%
  • Road Sweeper
    19%
  • Builders Labourer
    19%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    85%
  • Unpaid Domestic Dut
    4%
  • Incapacitated
    4%
  • Housewife
    3%

What Bowns family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 13,000 census records available for the last name Bowns. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Bowns census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Bowns

Passenger Lists

There are 610 immigration records available for the last name Bowns. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Bowns immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 671 military records available for the last name Bowns. For the veterans among your Bowns ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Bowns military records

You've only scratched the surface of Bowns family history

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What is the average Bowns lifespan?

Between 1960 and 2004, in the United States, Bowns life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1982. The average life expectancy for Bowns in 1960 was 46, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Bowns

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Bowns ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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